


All Silent Confessions Untold

by trascendenza



Category: Noah's Arc
Genre: M/M, POV Character of Color
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-24
Updated: 2009-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-05 05:46:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/38404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trascendenza/pseuds/trascendenza
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em>"Yeah, well," he said, putting a hand over Noah's. "What are friends for?"</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	All Silent Confessions Untold

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bette](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bette/gifts).



"You don't get it, Noah, do you?" Ricky said. He laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "After all these years, you just have no idea."

"No, Ricky, I do not 'get it,'" Noah said, throwing his hands up. "I can't deny that Wade and I have had our problems, but that's no reason for you to jump on me just because I'm _thinking_ of getting together with him. I'm an adult, Ricky, I get to make my own choices."

"Then maybe you should stop running to me every time you're caught in your latest man dilemma," Ricky said, "because I'm going to tell it to you like it is."

"The world according to Ricky," Noah said, rolling his eyes. "Not all of us are as cynical and disillusioned as you, are, Ricky. It wouldn't hurt you to remember that once in awhile."

Ricky stopped pacing, and looked at Noah, all the annoyance drained out of his features. He just seemed incredibly tired. "Yeah, well. World hasn't really proven me wrong, yet."

"Hey --" Noah said, taking a step forward, his hand already halfway in the air to grab Ricky's shoulder, his hand, anything to make that easy connection that's always defined their friendship.

"Not today, Noah," Ricky said, stepping back out of reach. He walked towards the door. "We're all full on pity here."

"Ricky, no --" But he opened the door and left, leaving Noah poised halfway with no one to meet him on the other side.

*

"It was fine, thanks for asking," Noah said the night after he'd seen Wade, sipping his cappuccino.

Ricky plastered on a too-bright smile, tilting his smoothie at Noah like a toast. "Good for you," he said.

"Wow, I'm so convinced," Noah said sardonically, clinking his mug with the plastic. "But," he said, before Ricky could reply, "I really appreciate the effort."

Ricky's smile eased a bit, a little more real. "Yeah, well," he said, putting a hand over Noah's. "What are friends for?"

*

"So why haven't you seen him again?" Ricky said, overly casual, as he reached for the top of the tree, craning his arms to plop the star down on the tip.

"Oh, well, you know -- oh my God, Ricky, be care--" Noah gasped, hand slamming to his mouth when Ricky teetered off of the ladder and landed flat on his back. He groaned, loudly, thrashing on the floor.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my _God_, are you okay?" Noah cried, about ten octaves higher than normal, running and crouching at Ricky's side. "Do you have a concussion? How many fingers am I holding up? Is your back spasming? _Can you hear me, Ricky, can you hear my voice?_"

"Take a breath, baby," Ricky said, convulsions instantly stopped. He opened his eyes, grinning. "Otherwise you're gonna pass out right on top of me."

"Ricky! That was so _not_ funny!" Noah said, slapping Ricky's chest so angrily that they ended up half-tangled on the floor. "Don't even play like that."

"Sorry." Ricky said, shifting on his hip so they tangled even closer together. He took the fist that Noah had been beating on his chest in his hand, flattening it to his chest. His heartbeat was fast and strong under Noah's palm and his eyes were serious. "I wasn't trying to scare you so much. Honest."

Noah blinked, eyes fixated on Ricky's chest. He shook his head like he was trying to clear it. "Huh?"

Ricky leaned in closer, so their noses were almost brushing, and this was the Ricky that didn't come out around Noah, where his voice was low and promising, eyes half-lidded, all of his motions smooth and sure. "I said I'm sorry."

Noah gulped. "Oh, that's fine, no problem, really, I was just overreacting, you know, silly old Noah, ha ha ha --"

"Noah," Ricky whispered, putting two fingers on Noah's lips.

"Hmm?" Noah said, his eyes wide and a little panicked, but he wasn't moving away or making any effort to disentangle.

"If you don't want me to kiss you, you better say something now." He took his fingers off Noah's lips, his smile half-amused, half-unsure.

Noah bit his lip, gaze averting. "Ricky, I should tell you --"

"It's fine," Ricky said, and he was instantly shut down again, smile all gone to sharp edges. "You know, it's my own damn fault, thinking that just because there was a two week pause in the Wade saga that you might be ready --"

"_I should tell you_," Noah continued, and now he was angry, shoving a finger into Ricky's shoulder, which was awkward at their angle but didn't stop him from poking angrily. "That I stopped seeing him because, for some reason, when I was with him all I could think about was _your_ stupid ass and what a good friend you are and how much I care about you, and how _scared_ I am, because after one night I'd want another night, and another, and that's not how you are, and --"

Noah stopped, receding, clearly having said a lot more than he meant to. He tried to look away, but Ricky stopped him, taking Noah's face in his hands.

"Noah, I --" Ricky laughed. "You don't get it, do you?"

He ran his thumbs over Noah's cheekbones, grinning from ear to ear. "I love you, you idiot. I've loved you for so long I don't know what it's like _not_ to love you."

"You --" Noah blinked rapidly, like the information wasn't processing. "You _love_ me?"

"As a lot more than a friend," Ricky said, quietly, and pressed a kiss into Noah's mouth, silencing anything else that might have come out. He kissed Noah like it was the first time, pressing his whole body into it, and Noah kissed him back like he'd just been waiting, waiting to understand all the things they didn't need to say.

*

"So what you're saying is that you were thinking about my ass when you were in bed with Wade?" Ricky said smugly, running his fingers over Noah's shoulder.

"Ricky!" Noah elbowed him. "Don't be so crass."

"Please," Ricky said, snaking his hand down under the blanket and making Noah yelp, "you know you love it."


End file.
